Turtle Soup Quilt – The Best Pattern for Border Prints (or That Big Bold Fabric You’ve Been Saving)
Turtle Soup Quilt – The Best Pattern for Border Prints (or That Big Bold Fabric You’ve Been Saving)
Let’s talk about border fabrics for a second.
You buy them because they’re gorgeous.
You love the stripe, the theme, the way the scene flows.
And then… they sit in your stash. Why?
Because border prints can be tricky to use — until now. 🙌
Introducing the Turtle Soup Quilt from Villa Rosa Designs — the perfect $2 pattern for showing off border fabrics andlarge-scale prints.
✨ The Pattern You’ve Been Waiting For
Turtle Soup finishes at 49" x 61" and was designed with one thing in mind:
💡 Let the fabric be the star.
Instead of chopping your border stripe into a bazillion pieces, this quilt lets you keep that beautiful print in large panels. You’ll frame it gently with coordinating sashing and accent fabrics to help it pop, then finish it off with clean lines and a soft background.
🧵 If you’ve been staring at that border stripe, wondering what to do with it… this is it, friend.
Turtle Soup is your go-to.
🧶 What You’ll Need:
-
1¼ yards of a theme or border stripe
-
1 yard of sashing (think tonal, ombré, or even a coordinating stripe)
-
⅜ yard of contrast fabric
-
⅜ yard background fabric
-
½ yard binding
That's all! Simple, stash-friendly, and scrap-happy if you're pulling from your collection.
🐢 What Makes It Work So Well?
Framing.
That’s the magic behind Turtle Soup.
The layout is intentionally simple. The pattern guides the eye around your border or theme fabric instead of overpowering it. You’re not cutting into the good stuff — you’re celebrating it. Whether it’s a parade of animals, a patriotic stripe, seaside scenes, or even vintage florals, Turtle Soup gives it the breathing room it deserves.
And if you don’t have a border print?
This pattern still works beautifully with any large-scale fabric or centered panel. Think of that Tula Pink owl print, a spooky Halloween scene, or even a modern graphic — anything that looks best when left bold and whole.
💛 Favorite Fabric Combos to Try:
-
Patriotic Stripe + Navy + Red Contrast
-
Bird Panel + Soft Green + Aqua Sashing
-
Jungle Animal Border + Tonal Browns + Banana Yellow
-
Floral Stripe + Coral Accent + Cream Background
-
Halloween Border Fabric + Black Sashing + Orange Pop
💡 The key? Let the print guide your palette — not the other way around.
🎥 Watch Me Talk Through It on YouTube
Want a closer look at Turtle Soup (and 5 more brand-new $2 patterns)? I just shared the full April round-up on my YouTube channel. Come join me and let’s chat fabric ideas and pattern possibilities!
🌼 Ready to Finally Use That Border Print?
If you’ve ever said,
“It’s too pretty to cut…”
or
“I don’t know how to use this border stripe…”
— then this is your permission slip to stop waiting and start sewing.
Turtle Soup is fast, beginner-friendly, and oh-so-satisfying to finish. It’s also a great gift quilt, seasonal project, or stash-busting win.
I’d love to see what you make! Tag me @quiltingyourlegacy or share it inside the Quilting Your Legacy Monthly Challenge Facebook group — let’s turn that saved fabric into something you’ll actually use and love.
Until next time,
Keep stitching with heart, not perfection. 💛
– Emily
